Bamboo Dreams on a Little Hill

Quick Summary:- 4hrs | Hike + Hands-on activity | Moderate, Family Friendly | Except Monsoon season | South Wayanad
Mountain, Plantation, Great views

A short drive from the district capital, Kalpetta, brings us to a lesser explored part of Wayanad. As hills go, Manikkunnumala is quite petite, but it ‘s big enough to dominate the landscape. And it offers the perfect location for today’s hike.
Our walk kicks off through a rural community – the abundance of flowers and fruits is obvious. Rather quickly, we plunge into a disused coffee plantation, the trail snaking it’s way uphill through the undergrowth. A little bit of exertion gets us to a small roadhead – we’ll follow the road for a short distance before getting into Manikkunnumala’s flanks proper. Another bout of steady uphill through the relatively sparse forest brings us to our viewpoint – a rocky outcrop perched just below the top. Enjoy the views here – you can see Karapuzha reservoir and Ambukuthy mala in the distance.
We will return to the roadhead and circle back to the start point via plantations and small communities.
Lunch and bit of rest awaits at the lovely Uravu bamboo grove.
Post lunch is an escorted walk of the bamboo nursery and research station – did you know there are over 25 species of bamboo here? A hands-on session making some bamboo handicrafts rounds out the day and you will head back by about 5PM.